Responding to Ransom (DoS) Letters: Real-Life Experiences from Our Customers

We've gathered valuable insights from our customers about their experiences with ransom (Denial of Service) letters. These cyber threats, demanding ransoms to prevent or stop DDoS attacks, have become an increasing concern for many organizations. Below, we'll share real-life experiences from some of our customers, highlighting how they handled these threats and the lessons they learned along the way.

Hitesh Chavan, Project Manager at IDBI Bank Limited, shared that they recently received a ransom letter demanding 100 BTC (around $2 million USD) to prevent a DDoS attack. The attackers claimed to have already compromised their network and threatened to release sensitive data if the ransom wasn't paid. However, IDBI Bank took the threat seriously and swiftly engaged a cybersecurity team to investigate and mitigate the vulnerabilities. They did not pay the ransom, as they believed doing so would only encourage further attacks.

Hitesh emphasizes:

"We believe that paying ransom only encourages cybercriminals to continue their attacks. It's important to stand up to cyber extortionists and show them that their threats will not be tolerated."

His advice to other organizations:

• Do not panic and stay calm.
• Never pay the ransom.
• Engage a cybersecurity team immediately.
• Report the attack to law enforcement.

Rajesh Garg, Sr. EVP & Chief Digital Officer at Yotta Infrastructure Solutions LLP, recounts a painful experience with a ransom (DoS) attack that disrupted his company's online services. The lack of sufficient cybersecurity measures left the company vulnerable. Upon receiving ransom calls, they decided to disconnect the impacted systems and took 10 hours to plan a strategy to recover.

Rajesh explains:

"The attack taught us a big lesson. We realized the importance of implementing the best cybersecurity measures at both the application and infrastructure level."

Fortunately, the company had complete system backups and was able to restore critical data, gradually bringing the business back online within three weeks. Rajesh now highlights the importance of a robust cybersecurity setup to safeguard against both internal and external threats.

Jorge Albor, Database Administrator at Puerto de Barranquilla, shares his organization's response to a ransom (DoS) letter. Their response was clear: do not pay the ransom. Instead, the company strengthened its defenses by employing the best cybersecurity tools and enhancing their team's capabilities to address such threats.

Jorge remarks:

"All extortions must be faced and never paid. We responded by increasing our defense systems and bolstering our cybersecurity team, not just in numbers, but also in capacity."

Rajesh Tarkase, IT Manager at Yotta Infrastructure Solutions LLP, outlines a well-structured approach to handling ransom (DoS) threats, particularly through Radware's DDoS protection solutions.

He explains the typical ransom demand involves payment in cryptocurrency to avoid or stop an impending DDoS attack targeting the company's website or services. Yotta took the following response steps:

1. Immediate Assessment: Evaluate the credibility of the threat.
2. Activate Incident Response: Engage IT, security, legal, and communications teams.
3. Engage Radware: Contact Radware for support and activate DDoS mitigation solutions.
4. Implement DDoS Mitigation: Use scrubbing centers and real-time behavioral analysis to filter malicious traffic.
5. Monitor Traffic: Keep a close watch for unusual patterns.
6. Communicate: Keep stakeholders informed about the situation.
7. Review Security Posture: Strengthen cybersecurity after the attack.
8. Documentation: Record the incident for future reference.

Rajesh concludes:

"Using Radware's solutions can significantly enhance your organization's ability to respond to DDoS ransom threats. It's crucial to remain vigilant and proactive in your security measures."

These experiences underscore a vital truth: ransom (DoS) threats should be taken seriously. The shared stories emphasize the importance of swift action, a strong cybersecurity defense, and the refusal to give in to cybercriminals. Each of our customers, through proactive measures, was able to mitigate the risk and respond in a manner that not only protected their organizations but also strengthened their overall security posture for the future.

By learning from these real-world experiences, organizations can be better prepared to handle similar threats.

We thank our customers for sharing their experiences and hope these lessons serve as valuable insights for others facing similar challenges.

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